Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Thursday 19 May 2022
Federal Transfer Center Inmate Indicted for Possession of Suboxone with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – OSHAY JONES, 30, of Virginia, was indicted earlier this week by a federal grand jury in Oklahoma City with possession of buprenorphine (Suboxone) with intent to distribute, while an inmate in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester of the Western District of Oklahoma.
On May 17, 2022, a federal grand jury in the Western District of Oklahoma returned a two-count indictment against Jones. The indictment alleges that on April 14, 2022, Jones, an inmate at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, knowingly possessed buprenorphine (Suboxone) with the intent to distribute. Count 1 charges Jones with possession of a prohibited object (Suboxone), and Count 2 charges Jones with possessing buprenorphine (Suboxone) with intent to distribute.
If convicted on Count 1, Jones faces up to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. If convicted on Count 2, Jones faces up to ten years in prison and three years of supervised release.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Oklahoma City Field Office and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Altshuler is prosecuting the case.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to public records for more information.
Federal Jury Convicts Illegal Alien of Sexual Abuse and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Edgar Rene Garcia-Limon, age 34, was found guilty by a federal jury of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country, Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, Felon in Possession of Firearm, and Illegal Reentry of Previously Removed Alien.
The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, and concluded on Wednesday, May 18, 2022, with the guilty verdicts.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence the defendant sexually abused a female child. The sexual abuse began when the victim was four years old and continued until age 11. The United States also presented evidence the defendant is a felon and was in possession of two firearms. Finally, the United States presented evidence the Defendant, who is an alien from Mexico, illegally returned to the United States after having been previously removed from the United States.
The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Tulsa Police Department, Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police, Homeland Security Investigations & Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the victim in this case is a member of a federally-recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Robert C. Brack, United States District Judge out of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, temporarily assigned to the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following the completion of the report. Garcia-Limon was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin D. Traster and Julie Mazur represented the United States.
Federal Judge Sentences Convicted Felon to 10 Years in Prison for Possession of Ammunition and A Firearm During A Domestic Violence IncidentRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced today that Dana Dean Fetherson, 44, of Waxhaw, N.C., was sentenced to 120 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of ammunition and a firearm by a convicted felon.
Brian Mein, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed documents and information presented in court, on April 3, 2020, an individual identified in court documents as J.B. called 911 to report that her ex-boyfriend, Fetherson, had “busted out” all the windows of her vehicle with an assault rifle, and had pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her. Fetherson was arrested on state charges in connection with this incident.
Court records show that on October 7, 2020, Fetherson went to J.B.’s house and shot at J.B. and her mother. J.B. sustained an injury to her wrist and her mother was injured by shrapnel. Fetherson was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2021. When law enforcement served Fetherson with the federal arrest warrant, they found a firearm and drugs in the defendant’s pocket. According to court records, Fetherson has prior criminal convictions and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
On December 16, 2021, Fetherson pleaded guilty to possession of ammunition and a firearm by a convicted felon. He is currently in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimlani Ford, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Slidell Man for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RAYMOND BAYONA, age 32, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, was charged today in a one-count indictment for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
If convicted, BAYONA faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000.00 fine, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case was investigated by the Slidell Police Department, St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Aldi Executive and Local Contractor Indicted for Bid FraudRead the Press Release
East St. Louis, Ill. – On Tuesday, May 17, 2022, a federal grand jury in East St. Louis returned a
nine- count indictment charging a former Aldi executive and a local general contractor with federal
fraud offenses relating to the construction of Aldi grocery stores throughout Southern Illinois and
Missouri. Former Aldi Regional Director of Real Estate, Louis Ross, 62, of Florissant, Missouri,
and the owner of C. Juengel Company, Donald Schniers, 71, of Breese, Illinois, were both charged
with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, and four
counts of wire fraud.
Aldi Inc. operates a corporate chain of grocery stores with locations nationwide, including dozens
of stores within the Southern District of Illinois and the St. Louis metropolitan area. Ross served
as the Director of Real Estate for Aldi’s O’Fallon, Missouri, Division, which encompasses
the area. According to court documents, Schniers, through C. Juengel, provided general
contracting services to Aldi in connection with the construction and renovation of Aldi
stores in the O’Fallon, Missouri, Division.Ross and Schniers are accused of conspiring to create the appearance of a competitive
bidding environment when one did not exist. The indictment alleges that Ross and Schniers submitted
fictitious bids in the names of other regional construction companies that were higher than C.
Juengel’s bids. Using these fictitious high bids from competing construction firms, Ross and
Schniers ensured that C. Juengel was the lowest bidder on the projects and was ultimately awarded
the contracts. The indictment further alleges that on at least one occasion, the Defendants altered
a legitimate bid submitted by one local construction company to increase the amount of the bid to
be higher than C. Juengel’s bid. On other occasions, the Defendants allegedly created and submitted
bids for other regional construction companies who had never bid on Aldi projects before.According to the indictment, C. Juengel was awarded twelve contracts for general contractor
services between March 2016 and May 2017, as a result of the fraud - valued at over $21 million
dollars. Because of the lack of competition in the bidding process, Aldi allegedly overpaid for the
construction and renovation of stores in the O’Fallon, Missouri, Division.“Individuals and companies who collude to thwart free market competition have a direct and negative
impact on communities and the American consumer,” said FBI Springfield Field Office Acting Special
Agent in Charge Joe Rodriguez. “Today’s indictment demonstrates the commitment of the FBI and our
partners to investigate anti-competitive behavior and hold accountable those who try to cheat the
system for their own benefit and profit.”The indictment also charges that Schniers paid Ross monthly kickbacks in exchange for the receipt
of the Aldi contracts. Over a four-year period, Ross allegedly received $554,000 in kickbacks in
the form of checks drawn on C. Juengel’s bank account. In addition, the indictment
alleges that Ross also received thousands of dollars in kickbacks from another individual for
the exclusive right to serve as the civil engineer on all Aldi new construction and renovation
projects in the O’Fallon, Missouri, Division.
Ross and Schniers are scheduled to appear in federal court in East St. Louis for their arraignments
on June 10, 2022, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., respectively. Each of the counts in the indictment
carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
United States Attorney, Steven D. Weinhoeft of the Southern District of Illinois made
the announcement.The investigation was conducted by the Springfield and St. Louis Field Offices of Federal Bureau of
Investigation, and the St. Louis Field Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zoe J. Gross.
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under law, a defendant is
presumed to be innocent of a charge until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the
satisfaction of a jury.Enumclaw, Washington, couple convicted of multiple federal felonies for stealing tax dollars intended for flood controlRead the Press Release
Seattle – The former long-time Commissioner of an East King County drainage district and his wife were convicted today in U.S. District Court in Seattle of multiple federal felonies connected to their scheme to steal tax dollars intended for flood control, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. In all, Allan Thomas and Joann Thomas were convicted of conspiracy; four counts each of wire fraud and mail fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. Joann Thomas was convicted of an additional count of aggravated identity theft and four counts of money laundering. The jury deliberated for about four hours following the eight- day trial. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones scheduled sentencing for September 23, 2022.
“Allan and Joann Thomas didn’t just defraud taxpayers, they abused a position of public trust, and repeatedly invented new lies to cover up old ones,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “I am thankful the jury saw the truth, rejecting the defense attempt to paint the couple as victims of small-town political intrigue.”
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, Allan B. Thomas served as Commissioner for Drainage District 5 and 5A in King County for more than 35 years. As a commissioner, Thomas was involved in estimating the costs of drainage maintenance for the district so that the county auditor could set and assess the appropriate taxes. The Commissioners then authorized payment to service providers who were supposed to do maintenance work on the drainage system.
As early as 2012, Joann Thomas set up a joint bank account with Allan Thomas’ son from a previous marriage. The account was a business account for a company called A C Services. Over the next six years, Allan Thomas had $413,323 of local tax dollars paid to A C Services claiming it was for drainage ditch maintenance. However, Thomas’ son testified that other than two small jobs performed in 2012, he did not perform any drainage ditch work. At trial, a current drainage district commissioner testified that he saw no work done on the ditches during that time period, and that when he took on the commissioner job, it was clear the ditch network had had little maintenance for many years.
Financial records admitted at trial show that over those six years (2012-2017), shortly after the tax dollars were deposited into A C Services’ account, the money was quickly transferred to other accounts belonging to the Thomases or was used to pay their expenses for such things as hay, mortgage payments, or property taxes. More than $68,000 was withdrawn as cash.
Allan and Joann Thomas worked together on the scheme. Both were involved in submitting false documents by mail and wire (the mail fraud and wire fraud counts) and the funds that were fraudulently obtained were then moved through various bank accounts (money laundering). The couple forged the signatures of Allan Thomas’ son and a second drainage commissioner on various records and checks. The forgeries constitute Aggravated Identity Theft. Those counts carry a mandatory two-year sentence that must run consecutive to any sentence imposed on the other counts of conviction.
In 2018, after the couple became aware of an investigation into their conduct, they began funneling the tax dollars through another company: City Biz. The couple submitted warrants for City Biz to be paid for drainage maintenance work and within days of the funds arriving in City Biz bank accounts, nearly all the money was transferred directly to Allan Thomas or the Thomases’ dairy farm. The Thomases’ friend who agreed to help with the City Biz fraud, now also has a federal felony conviction for repeatedly lying to the FBI.
In all, the couple defrauded taxpayers of $468,165.
“Public funds are gathered from our communities for the benefit of all residents. Instead of stewarding these funds for the public’s interest, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas abused Mr. Thomas’ position as an elected official and betrayed the trust of their neighbors and friends by diverting these funds to line their own pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Bret Kressin, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “IRS:CI will continue to work with our partners in law enforcement and be vigilant in protecting the public from corrupt officials like Mr. Thomas, who think only of their own greed.”
“For years, Commissioner Thomas and his wife chose to betray the public’s trust both by failing to maintain the property under their care and by stealing from the hardworking taxpayers of King County for personal gain. Today’s verdict reinforces that public servants will be held accountable for their actions and to a high ethical standard,” said Donald M. Voiret, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle Field Office.
The IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI) and the FBI led the investigation with assistance from the Enumclaw Police Department. The Enumclaw City Attorney initiated the review of the district finances. The Washington State Auditor’s Office also conducted an audit of the district in 2019. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, in consultation with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, determined the case was appropriate for federal prosecution.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin Arnold and Andrew Friedman.
Drug dealer who mailed methamphetamine to St. Louis area sentenced to more than seven years in prisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – United States District Court Judge Ronnie L. White on Thursday sentenced a drug dealer who mailed crystal methamphetamine to St. Louis from Arizona to seven and one-half years in prison.
Hosea Simpson, 36, pleaded guilty in February to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Beginning in 2019, Simpson and his co-defendant, LeVaughn Neal, obtained methamphetamine in Arizona and mailed it to the St. Louis area, addressed to both vacant and occupied homes. The residents had no knowledge of the shipments. Simpson and Neal would wait in a vehicle for the package to be delivered, grab it and then drive away.
Both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service became aware of the shipments.
On August 21,2019 postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious package mailed from Tempe, Arizona to Des Peres, Missouri that contained 13 pounds of methamphetamine. While the package was being held by investigators, Neal called the postal service twice, inquiring about the package and how to retrieve it, but never picked it up.
On September 4,2019, postal inspectors found another suspicious package headed to Jennings. They watched as Simpson got out of a rental car driven by Neal and retrieved the package. The pair drove off and escaped.
On September 12,2019, DEA agents utilized a confidential source to buy $1,200 worth of crystal methamphetamine from Neal and Simpson.
On October 17 ,2019, postal inspectors again spotted a suspicious package heading to Jennings, and DEA agents arrested Neal after he retrieved it from the front porch of a vacant home. The package contained nearly five pounds of crystal methamphetamine that was 98% pure.
Neal, 36, of Dellwood, was sentenced by Judge White in January to 13 years in prison on the same charge.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case.
Department of Justice Announces New Policy for Charging Cases under the Computer Fraud and Abuse ActRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice today announced the
revision of its policy regarding charging violations of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).The policy for the first time directs that good-faith security research should not be charged. Good faith security research means accessing a computer solely for purposes of good-faith testing, investigation, and/or correction of a security flaw or vulnerability, where such activity is carried out in a manner designed to avoid any harm to individuals or the public, and where the information derived from the activity is used primarily to promote the security or safety of the class of devices, machines, or online services to which the accessed computer belongs, or those who use such devices, machines, or online services.
“Computer security research is a key driver of improved cybersecurity,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “The department has never been interested in prosecuting good-faith computer security research as a crime, and today’s announcement promotes cybersecurity by providing clarity for good-faith security researchers who root out vulnerabilities for the common good.”
The new policy states explicitly the longstanding practice that “the department’s goals for CFAA enforcement are to promote privacy and cybersecurity by upholding the legal right of individuals, network owners, operators, and other persons to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information stored in their information systems.” Accordingly, the policy clarifies that hypothetical CFAA violations that have concerned some courts and commentators are not to be charged. Embellishing an online dating profile contrary to the terms of service of the dating website; creating fictional accounts on hiring, housing, or rental websites; using a pseudonym on a social networking site that prohibits them; checking sports scores at work; paying bills at work; or violating an access restriction contained in a term of service are not themselves sufficient to warrant federal criminal charges. The policy focuses the department’s resources on cases where a defendant is either not authorized at all to access a computer or was authorized to access one part of a computer — such as one email account — and, despite knowing about that restriction, accessed a part of the computer to which his authorized access did not extend, such as other users’ emails.
However, the new policy acknowledges that claiming to be conducting security research is not a free pass for those acting in bad faith. For example, discovering vulnerabilities in devices in order to extort their owners, even if claimed as “research,” is not in good faith. The policy advises prosecutors to consult with the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) about specific applications of this factor.
All federal prosecutors who wish to charge cases under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act are required to follow the new policy, and to consult with CCIPS before bringing any charges. Prosecutors must inform the Deputy Attorney General (DAG), and in some cases receive approval from the DAG, before charging a CFAA case if CCIPS recommends against it.
The new policy replaces an earlier policy that was issued in 2014, and takes effect immediately.
Dayton Jones Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – Dayton Jones, 27, was sentenced this week to 96 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release for production of child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system. Jones was also ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution to the victim and he will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from custody.
According to court documents, on October 11, 2014, a group of high school and college students got together at a friend’s apartment. The students, almost all of whom were under the age of 21, consumed significant amounts of alcohol. A fifteen-year-old boy (John Doe), passed out from alcohol intoxication. When John Doe passed out, several other males took turns sexually assaulting him with a sex toy. Jones made an audio and video recording of the assault which he then distributed to others via the social media application “Snapchat.”
“I commend the Louisville FBI, the Christian County Sheriff’s Office, and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted this case for their outstanding effort,” said Michael A. Bennett, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. “We will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual exploitation and abuse in order to make our communities throughout the 53 counties of the Western District safer for all citizens.”
“This case highlights how those that choose to exploit our most vulnerable will be found and held accountable to the fullest degree under the rule of law. Removing child predators from our streets will remain one of the highest priorities for the FBI,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI's Louisville Field Office. “If you are engaging in these heinous acts, know that the possibility of decades in federal prison with no parole is in your future.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Jo E. Lawless and Seth Hancock prosecuted the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Louisville Field Office and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
###
Davidson County Man Sentenced to 170 Months in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A North Carolina man was sentenced on May 19, 2022, to 170 months in prison, followed by a 15-year term of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of minors after a multi-state effort by federal and local agencies identified a user in North Carolina involved in the receipt and distribution of child pornography and solicitation of sexually explicit images from two minors.
According to court documents, Robert Hoyt Reece, 39, was identified by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, after receiving information from local law enforcement in another state about an individual in Lexington, North Carolina possessing child pornography and communicating with minors across the country. The FBI later identified the individual as Reece and the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DSCO) executed a search warrant at Reece’s residence in April 2021 where they confiscated multiple devices containing images and videos of child pornography. Reece admitted to officers that he had used multiple devices and applications to access child pornography. As a result of the investigation, it was also determined he was communicating with two out-of-state minors inappropriately and soliciting sexually images from them.
He was charged in the Middle District of North Carolina in October 2021 with one count of coercion or enticement of a minor, two counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of possession of child pornography, and two counts of sexual exploitation of minors. In January, 2022, Reece pled guilty to one count of receiving child pornography. In addition to his imprisonment and supervised release, Reece was ordered to pay $23,000 in restitution to the child pornography victims.
The Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation assisted with the investigation. FBI offices throughout the country assisted in locating the victims and identifying Reece as the perpetrator.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lindsey Freeman and Kennedy Gates. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), and focuses on coordinating federal, state, and local resources to better identify and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. http://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
###
Crow Agency felon sentenced to five years in prison for illegal firearm possession after high-speed pursuit on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Crow Agency felon who illegally possessed a loaded semi-automatic rifle and led law enforcement officers on a high-speed pursuit on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced on May 18 to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Leif M. Johnson said.
Brian Pretty Weasel, 34, pleaded guilty in November 2021 to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2018, Pretty Weasel was convicted of a federal felony of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. In May 2021, a U.S. Marshals Service deputy and other law enforcement officers attempted to stop Pretty Weasel on a warrant in Billings. Pretty Weasel fled officers in a SUV that had been reported stolen and sped from Billings onto the Crow Reservation. Bureau of Indian Affairs officers joined the pursuit, which reached speeds exceeding 100 mph. An officer saw a passenger hand a rifle to Pretty Weasel, the driver. Pretty Weasel ultimately crashed into another vehicle in Pryor, fled on foot from the SUV and was caught by officers. Officers located a loaded, semi-automatic rifle that Pretty Weasel had dropped near the SUV. The firearm had been reported stolen in 2018.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanne Torske prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the BIA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a U.S. Department of Justice initiative to reduce violent crime. Through PSN, federal, tribal, state and local law enforcement partners in Montana focus on violent crime driven by methamphetamine trafficking, armed robbers, firearms offenses and violent offenders with outstanding warrants.
XXX
Convicted Sex Offender Living Under an Assumed Name Arrested in St. PetersburgRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that John Paul Angel, Jr., a/k/a “John Saravia,” (43, St. Petersburg) has been arrested and charged by a criminal complaint with failing to register as a sex offender. If convicted, Angel faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release.
According to the criminal complaint, in May 2001, Angel was convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a minor child after a guilty plea in Bergen County, New Jersey. After his release from a three-year prison sentence, Angel was required to register as a sex offender. Since 2003, however, Angel repeatedly failed to report his whereabouts and his status as a convicted sex offender as required by law. In May 2005, Angel failed to report annually to officials in New Jersey, as required by law, resulting in a warrant being issued for his arrest. In April 2022, law enforcement officers discovered Angel living in St. Petersburg using the alias “John Saravia.” He has been in the Middle District of Florida since 2012. There is no record of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that shows Angel, or “John Saravia” ever registering as a sex offender in Florida, as required by state and federal law.
A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Clifton Police Department, and the New Jersey Parole Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Erin Claire Favorit.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
Chicago Man Sentenced to 294 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Offense Resulting in Girlfriend’s DeathRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Antonio Larvell Thomas, Jr., age 25, of Chicago, Ill., was sentenced on Tuesday, May 17, 2022, to 294 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. Thomas was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and immediately pay a $100 Special Assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
According to court documents, in 2019, law enforcement initiated an investigation into Thomas for his involvement in a heroin and methamphetamine conspiracy operating in the Quad Cities area. Multiple controlled buys were conducted where Thomas arranged to distribute fentanyl purported to be heroin to a cooperating individual. Thomas was implicated in multiple drug and gun seizures conducted by law enforcement. On January 5, 2020, Thomas’s girlfriend was found unresponsive in a Davenport hotel room she shared with Thomas. She was pronounced dead and an autopsy revealed she died of a fentanyl overdose. The fentanyl she ingested belonged to Thomas. Thomas was arrested in possession of additional fentanyl.
On December 18, 2020, Thomas pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and admitted that death resulted from the fentanyl he was distributing.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This matter was investigated by the Bettendorf Police Department, Davenport Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Charlotte Business Owners Are Indicted for Selling Stolen iPhones to Domestic and International BuyersRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two Charlotte business owners, Hamzeh Jamal Alasfar, 30, and Tayseer Issam Alkhayyat, 34, both of Charlotte, are facing federal charges for allegedly selling fraudulently obtained Apple iPhones (iPhones) and other electronic devices to domestic and international buyers, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Reginald DeMatteis, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service (USSS), Charlotte Field Office, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, Alasfar and Alkhayyat owned multiple businesses located in Charlotte, including Cellport International Inc. (Cellport) and D Town Wireless (D Town). Cellport had an additional location in Florida. The indictment alleges that, as early as 2013 and continuing through January 2020, Alasfar and Alkhayyat purchased thousands of stolen and fraudulently obtained iPhones and other electronic devices, which they then sold and shipped to buyers in other states and in foreign countries.
As alleged in the indictment, Alasfar and Alkhayyat obtained the fraudulently obtained devices from multiple “boosters” and “vendors.” A booster is a person who obtains goods and products through theft or other fraudulent means and sells them for profit. A vendor is a person who collects stolen and fraudulently obtained products from boosters and sells them in bulk. The indictment alleges that Alasfar and Alkhayyat’s businesses were known to boosters and vendors in the area as places they could sell stolen and fraudulently obtained devices, including new in-the-box iPhones.
As alleged in the indictment, between January 2019 and January 2020, the defendants sold and shipped through Cellport more than 20,000 new iPhones. The defendants allegedly knew that many of these iPhones had been stolen or obtained by fraud. During the same time frame, Cellport’s bank account, which was controlled by Alasfar and Alkhayyat, allegedly received more than $15 million in wire transfers, many of which came from new iPhone buyers and freight-forwarding services located abroad, including a company in the United Arab Emirates.
Alasfar and Alkhayyat are charged with conspiracy to transport stolen and fraudulently obtained goods in interstate commerce, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and two counts of interstate and foreign transportation of stolen property, which carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $250,000 fine per count.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Alasfar and Alkhayyat will be ordered to appear on a summons for their initial appearances, which will be scheduled in federal court in Charlotte.
This case was the result of the investigative efforts of CMPD and the Secret Service, which have established a fully integrated partnership to combat the most significant organized criminal groups operating in Charlotte. Through this partnership, this unit has successfully leveraged local and federal resources, personnel, expertise and authorities to identify and combat the criminals and criminal organizations that have the largest negative impact on the community.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Michael E. Savage of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Charleston Felon Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Charleston man was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Denzil Weatherspoon, 29, ran from officers with the Charleston Police Department on February 4, 2020. Upon detaining Weatherspoon, officers recovered a loaded Rohm Model RG23 .22-caliber revolver in his jacket pocket.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Weatherspoon knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of two prior felony convictions: for unlawful wounding on August 18, 2014, in Kanawha County Circuit Court; and for aggravated assault on November 10, 2016, for in the Circuit Court of Davidson County, Tennessee.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the excellent work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Former Assistant United States Attorney Nick Miller prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:20-cr-138.
###
Cambridge Man Charged with Crack Cocaine and Fentanyl Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cambridge man has been charged with drug distribution offenses involving cocaine base (crack cocaine) and fentanyl.
Ahsan Arty, a/k/a/ “Hass,” 23, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Arty is currently in state custody and was ordered detained following an initial appearance yesterday before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell. A detention hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, in February 2021, Arty conspired to sell crack cocaine to an undercover officer and was captured on recording brokering the drug deal. Intercepted communications allegedly revealed that Arty also conspired with others to distribute counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl. At the time of the alleged offense, Arty was on pretrial release for multiple pending state firearm offenses.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin R. Hayden; Middlesex County District Attorney Marian T. Ryan; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow, made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of Rollins’ Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Sentenced to 25 Years on Multiple Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE – A California man was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess to 25 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, attempted distribution of methamphetamine and cocaine, maintaining a place for drug purposes and illegally possessing firearms.
According to court documents, Antoine Lapoleon Davis, aka “Shorty,” 49, trafficked large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine to Alaska through the U.S. mail and distributed it in the Anchorage area during 2017 and 2018. He was convicted by a federal jury in May 2021.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant on Davis’s Anchorage apartment on October 4, 2018, where they seized methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, four firearms and other drug dealing paraphernalia. Davis later told the FBI that he distributed nearly three kilograms of methamphetamine and half a kilogram of cocaine per month as well as heroin and crack cocaine. He also stated that he obtained the firearms found in his apartment to defend his drug supply. The firearms included three handguns and a semi-automatic rifle that Davis referred to as a “chopper.”
Davis also mailed two parcels containing drugs and guns that were intercepted by the U.S. Postal Inspectors in 2017. One parcel sent from Anchorage to Arizona contained methamphetamine, meth pills and multiple firearms. The second package sent from California to Anchorage contained nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine and cocaine. Investigators linked Davis to the two parcels through forensic fingerprinting and handwriting analysis as well as post office surveillance footage.
In issuing the sentence Judge Burgess noted that Davis returned to criminal conduct less than a year after serving a 16-year sentence in California on very similar charges. According to court documents, Davis has been incarcerated or on parole for almost the entirety of his adult life – from 1993 to the present.
“We will not idly stand by while dealers peddle their devastating drugs to Alaskans,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “We take drug trafficking crimes very seriously in Alaska and we will continue to vigorously prosecute traffickers, wherever they may live, for their illegal actions. This significant sentence should serve as a warning to anyone considering trafficking drugs in our state that, together with our law enforcements partners, we will investigate and prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”
“The defendant was a prolific drug trafficker who harmed Alaskan communities by distributing substantial amounts of illegal narcotics in the Anchorage area,” said Antony Jung, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “The FBI is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to prevent offenders from plaguing Alaskan communities with illegal drugs and weapons, and we will continue to purposefully identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking enterprises, in an effort to make our communities safer.”
“We will not sit back while individuals like Davis leave a path of destruction in their wake” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, “The sentencing of Davis leaves a clear and lasting impact on the communities of Alaska. It shows the citizens we will work tirelessly to bring large scale dealers like Davis to justice. This should also serve as a reminder to those who think they can exploit members of our community; we will join our efforts together as law enforcement agencies and find you. Cases like these don’t come together without teamwork and we thank all agencies involved”.
The FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kayla Doyle, Jennifer Ivers and Ryan Tansey prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
###
Burlington Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Laroy Dashun Redmond, age 29, of Burlington, was sentenced yesterday in federal court to 120 months in prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Five Grams or More of Methamphetamine and Less Than 50 Kilograms of Marijuana, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Redmond was ordered to serve five years of supervised release to follow his prison term and immediately pay a $300 Special Assessment to the Crime Victims’ Fund.
According to court documents, the investigation into Redmond began when the Burlington Police Department responded to a shooting incident at Redmond’s residence in January 2021. During the search, law enforcement seized ammunition, over 400 grams of marijuana, and methamphetamine. In May and June of 2021, Redmond was stopped twice by police for driving while impaired. Law enforcement seized a nine-millimeter handgun from Redmond during the May encounter and a .40 caliber handgun and a distribution amount of cocaine from Redmond’s vehicle in June. In post-Miranda statements, Redmond admitted ownership of the nine-millimeter gun and stated his fingerprints would be found on the .40 caliber handgun. Redmond also admitted that he carried the gun in furtherance of his drug trafficking. On January 3, 2022, Redmond pleaded guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This matter was investigated by the Burlington Police Department and prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Pandemic Fraud, Identity Theft, Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to fraud, identity theft, firearm and drug offenses.
Jammy Alphonse, 28, pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy, false representation of a Social Security number, aggravated identity theft, possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Sept. 15, 2022. Alphonse was charged by an Information on May 11, 2022.
Beginning in or around May 2020, Alphonse conspired to obtain Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, which were made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Specifically, Alphonse conspired to submit false PUA claims in other persons’ names and using other persons’ personally identifiable information. Alphonse and his co-conspirators created email accounts for the purpose of submitting fraudulent PUA claims from Alphonse’s Everett residence and other locations. The fraudulently obtained funds were then directed into accounts held in Alphonse’s name or in the name of a co-conspirator.
Additionally, in February 2021, Alphonse submitted an application to rent a property in East Boston using the name, Social Security number and date of birth of another person. As a result, Alphonse resided in that apartment from approximately February 2021 through Aug. 6, 2021, when he was arrested on a federal firearms offense. A search of the apartment recovered a loaded Glock model 43X, 9-millimeter firearm, 47 rounds of ammunition, and approximately 75 grams or more of fentanyl, among other things.
Alphonse was previously arrested and charged in August 2021 with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon following a shooting in Cambridge, Mass., in July 2021. Alphonse has remained in custody since that date.
The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false representation of a Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for mandatory sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, up to four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Mark Comorosky, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Boston Police Acting Commissioner Gregory Long; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Mackenzie Duane of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl and Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Michael Bryant, 62, admitted to selling fentanyl to a confidential informant on three separate occasions in March 2021 at his Hunt Street residence. During one of the controlled buys, Bryant also sold the confidential informant a loaded Francolin Arms, model Citadel Boss 25, 12-gauge shotgun. Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Bryant’s residence on October 21, 2021 and seized additional quantities of fentanyl, a loaded Sports Arms Derringer .22-caliber pistol, and rounds of 9mm and .22-caliber ammunition.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bryant admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his two prior felony convictions: for being a felon in possession of a firearm on February 25, 2010, in Raleigh County Circuit Court; and for unlawful assault on October 30, 2000, Fayette County Circuit Court.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department and the Beckley Police Department.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Negar Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:21-cr-199.
###
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – A Beckley man was sentenced today to seven years and four months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing cocaine base, also known as “crack” cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Gregory Anthony Waters, 53, sold approximately 1 ounce of cocaine base to a confidential informant on September 20, 2020. Waters admitted to meeting the informant near a restaurant he owned in Beckley to sell the drugs. Waters also admitted to selling cocaine or cocaine base on several other occasions. Each transaction occurred within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Waters agreed to forfeit cash in the amount of $2,481 and to have a money judgment entered in the amount of $5,000, the total of which represents the proceeds of his illegal drug trafficking. Waters also agreed to forfeit a 2015 Chevrolet Silverado truck which was used to facilitate the distribution of controlled substances.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the cooperative investigative efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-191.
###
Albany Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Debra Hackstadt, age 67, of Albany, pled guilty today to fraudulently obtaining 32 government-backed loans meant for businesses struggling with the financial effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Janeen DiGuiseppi, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In pleading guilty, Hackstadt admitted that between April 30, 2020 and June 11, 2021, she fraudulently obtained $1,615,546 from two pandemic relief loan programs – the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), whose loans are issued by private financial institutions and backed by the federal government, and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which are issued directly by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). These loans were issued to Hackstadt herself, certain of her family members and acquaintances, and several companies controlled by Hackstadt or her family members.
Hackstadt committed the fraud by lying to the SBA and various PPP lenders on loan applications, including by making up and grossly overstating the employees and payrolls of the companies and sole proprietorships for which she obtained loans. Many of the PPP applications also included false tax documents that Hackstadt created as part of the scheme. In total, Hackstadt’s scheme resulted in the issuance of 27 PPP loans and five EIDLs.
Hackstadt also admitted that in addition to these loans, she fraudulently obtained two other business loans from private lenders. She fraudulently obtained a $42,290 loan in October-November 2019, and promptly defaulted on it, and fraudulently obtained a $48,500 loan in June 2021, and promptly defaulted on it.
Hackstadt faces up to 20 years in prison when she is sentenced on October 6, 2022 by Chief United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Hackstadt has also agreed to pay restitution, and to entry of a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $254,812, representing the amount of money she personally obtained from the fraud.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Joshua R. Rosenthal.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
###
Wednesday 18 May 2022
美國公民和四名中國情報官員被控監視著名異見者、人權領袖和民主活動人士Read the Press Release
昨天，布魯克林聯邦法院公佈了一份起訴書，對一名美國公民和四名中國國家安全部官員提起共謀及與其他指控，涉及間諜活動和跨國鎮壓計畫。
根據法庭檔，王書軍，73 歲，紐約皇后區人；何峰，又名何老闆，廣東人；季潔，青島人；李明，又名唐老、小李，廣東人；青島的陸克慶（又名陸老闆）據稱參與了美國和國外的間諜活動和跨國鎮壓計畫。王先生于3月16日根據刑事起訴被捕，並將於晚些時候提審。何、季、李、陸仍逍遙法外(以上姓名均為音譯)。
“我們不會容忍中華人民共和國或任何獨裁政府向我國輸出鎮壓措施，”司法部國家安全司助理司法部長馬修·奧爾森 (Matthew G. Olsen) 說。 “這些指控表明，對凡是違反我們法律、試圖壓制美國境內不同聲音，並阻止我們居民行使其合法權利的人，司法部堅定不
移，致力於追究其責任。”
紐約東區美國檢察官布倫·皮斯 (Breon Peace) 表示：“據指控，王在自己的社區中充當秘密情報人員，監視並向他的同案被告（中國政府國家安全部成員）報告有關著名親民主活動人士和組織的敏感資訊。” “今天的起訴書揭露並擾亂了中華人民共和國的一項行動，該行動威脅居住在美國的中國公民因為他們的民主信仰和言論的安全和自由。我們的辦公室和執法合作夥伴將保持警惕，阻止針對我們公民和居民的外國間諜活動。”
“如果有人懷疑中國政府對箝制批評者有多認真，瞭解本案後即可消除任何懷疑，”聯邦調查局國家安全部門代理執行助理主任小艾倫·科勒 (Alan E. Kohler Jr.) 表示。 “中國政府的咄咄逼人的策略曾經僅限於其境內。現在，中華人民共和國正在針對美國和世界各地的人民。聯邦調查局及其合作夥伴繼續致力於打擊跨國鎮壓。”
根據法庭檔，王是一位著名的學者和作家，他幫助在皇后區創立了一個反對中國現行共產主義政權的親民主組織。然而，據指控，至少自 2011 年以來，王一直利用其在華人僑界和異見者群體中的地位和身份，代表國家安全部和中國，秘密收集有關著名活動人士和人權領袖的資訊。正如起訴書所稱，何、季、李和陸是王的操縱者，指示王針對中國認為具有顛覆性的特定個人和團體，例如香港親民主活動人士、台獨宣導者、維吾爾族和藏族活動人士，並獲取有關國家安全部認為重要的特定主題和事項的資訊。
正如起訴書中所指控，王通過使用加密的消息傳遞應用程式和電子郵件，並在中國舉行的面對面會議上，向國家安全局--包括何、季、李和陸--傳達和提供資訊。王經常將他收集的資訊記錄在電子郵件“日記”中，供國家安全部查閱。此類“日記”包括王與著名異見者的私人談話，及民主活動人士和人權組織活動的細節。王被捕後，在對其住所進行的搜查中，發現了王寫給何、季、李、陸以及其他國安部官員的大約 163 篇“日記”。
例如，在 2016 年 11 月 22 日左右的一系列通訊中，季指示王在即將舉行的一場親民主活動中，與特定與會者互動，並“完成“老闆”（指的是陸）分配的任務。季指出，相關與會者與“藏族人、維吾爾族人和蒙古族人”有過接觸，並祝王好運，取得“好成績。”在 2016 年 11 月 16 日左右的另一次交流中，王告訴李，他“剛剛結束與一位著名人權活動人士的交談，”並指出他提出了“必要的問題”並得到了“坦誠”的答復。李回應“太好了，”並用豎起大拇指的表情符號，指示王將其寫在“日記”中。王向國安部舉報的至少一名香港民主活動家和異見者（在起訴書中被稱為“香港異見者一號”）隨後被中國逮捕。
除了這一行為之外，起訴書還指控王向國家安全部轉移並擁有屬於中國異見者的電話號碼和聯繫資訊，並向聯邦執法部門做出重大虛假陳述，虛假地否認他與中國官員或國家安全部有聯繫。
紐約東區美國助理檢察官阿蒂·麥康奈爾 (Artie McConnell) 正在國家安全部反情報和出口管制司的審判律師斯科特·A·克拉菲 (Scott A. Claffee) 的寶貴協助下起訴此案。
起訴書只是一項指控，所有被告均被假定無罪，直到在法庭上排除合理懷疑而被證明有罪。
美国公民和四名中国情报官员被控监视著名持不同政见者、人权领袖和民主活动人士Read the Press Release
昨天，布鲁克林联邦法院公布了一份起诉书，对一名美国公民和四名中国国家安全部官员提起共谋及与其他指控，涉及间谍活动和跨国镇压计划。
根据法庭文件，王书军，73 岁，纽约皇后区人；何峰，又名何老板，广东人；季洁，青岛人；李明，又名唐老、小李，广东人；青岛的陆克庆（又名陆老板）据称参与了美国和国外的间谍活动和跨国镇压计划。王先生于3月16日根据刑事起诉被捕，并将于晚些时候提审。何、季、李、陆仍逍遥法外(以上姓名均为音译)。
“我们不会容忍中华人民共和国或任何独裁政府向我国输出镇压措施，”司法部国家安全司助理司法部长马修·奥尔森 (Matthew G. Olsen) 说。 “这些指控表明，对凡是违反我们法律、试图压制美国境内不同声音，并阻止我们居民行使其合法权利的人，司法部坚定不
移，致力于追究其责任。”
纽约东区美国检察官布伦·皮斯 (Breon Peace) 表示：“据指控，王在自己的社区中充当秘密情报人员，监视并向他的同案被告（中国政府国家安全部成员）报告有关著名亲民主活动人士和组织的敏感信息。” “今天的起诉书揭露并扰乱了中华人民共和国的一项行动，该行动威胁居住在美国的中国公民因为他们的民主信仰和言论的安全和自由。我们的办公室和执法合作伙伴将保持警惕，阻止针对我们公民和居民的外国间谍活动。”
“如果有人怀疑中国政府对箝制批评者有多认真，了解本案后即可消除任何怀疑，”联邦调查局国家安全部门代理执行助理主任小艾伦·科勒 (Alan E. Kohler Jr.) 表示。 “中国政府的咄咄逼人的策略曾经仅限于其境内。现在，中华人民共和国正在针对美国和世界各地的人民。联邦调查局及其合作伙伴继续致力于打击跨国镇压。”
根据法庭文件，王是一位著名的学者和作家，他帮助在皇后区创立了一个反对中国现行共产主义政权的亲民主组织。然而，据指控，至少自 2011 年以来，王一直利用其在华人侨界和持不同政见者群体中的地位和身份，代表国家安全部和中国，秘密收集有关著名活动人士和人权领袖的信息。正如起诉书所称，何、季、李和陆是王的操纵者，指示王针对中国认为具有颠覆性的特定个人和团体，例如香港亲民主活动人士、台独倡导者、维吾尔族和藏族活动人士，并获取有关国家安全部认为重要的特定主题和事项的信息。
正如起诉书中所指控，王通过使用加密的消息传递应用程序和电子邮件，并在中国举行的面对面会议上，向国家安全局--包括何、季、李和陆--传达和提供信息。王经常将他收集的信息记录在电子邮件“日记”中，供国家安全部查阅。此类“日记”包括王与著名持不同政见者的私人谈话，及民主活动人士和人权组织活动的细节。王被捕后，在对其住所进行的搜查中，发现了王写给何、季、李、陆以及其他国安部官员的大约 163 篇“日记”。
例如，在 2016 年 11 月 22 日左右的一系列通讯中，季指示王在即将举行的一场亲民主活动中，与特定与会者互动，并“完成“老板”（指的是陆）分配的任务。季指出，相关与会者与“藏族人、维吾尔族人和蒙古族人”有过接触，并祝王好运，取得“好成绩。”在 2016 年 11 月 16 日左右的另一次交流中，王告诉李，他“刚刚结束与一位著名人权活动人士的交谈，”并指出他提出了“必要的问题”并得到了“坦诚”的答复。李回应“太好了，”并用竖起大拇指的表情符号，指示王将其写在“日记”中。王向国安部举报的至少一名香港民主活动家和持不同政见者（在起诉书中被称为“香港持不同政见者一号”）随后被中国逮捕。
除了这一行为之外，起诉书还指控王向国家安全部转移并拥有属于中国持不同政见者的电话号码和联系信息，并向联邦执法部门做出重大虚假陈述，虚假地否认他与中国官员或国家安全部有联系。
纽约东区美国助理检察官阿蒂·麦康奈尔 (Artie McConnell) 正在国家安全部反情报和出口管制司的审判律师斯科特·A·克拉菲 (Scott A. Claffee) 的宝贵协助下起诉此案。
起诉书只是一项指控，所有被告均被假定无罪，直到在法庭上排除合理怀疑而被证明有罪。
一名美国公民和四名中国情报官员 被控对著名的民运人士、持不同政见者和人权领袖进行间谍活动Read the Press Release
在昨天呈交到布鲁克林联邦法院的一份起诉书中，美国公民、皇后区居民王书君和中国国家安全部（国安部）的四名官员被指控犯有与间谍和跨国镇压有关的阴谋和其他罪行. 国安部的四名官员分别是贺锋，又称“贺老板”, 纪杰，李明，又称“唐长老”和“小李子”，以及吕可清，又称“吕老板”. 王书君此前于2022年3月16日因刑事指控被捕，稍后将被传讯。贺、纪、李、吕仍然在逃.
美国纽约东区检察官布雷昂皮尔斯, 司法部国家安全司助理部长马修 G.奥尔森, 以及联邦调查局纽约分局助理局长迈克尔.德里斯科尔宣布了这些指控.
“正如指控所述，王书君在自己社区充当地下情报人员，监视著名民运人士和组织，并将敏感信息报告给他的同案被告：中国国家安全部的成员”，美国检察官皮尔斯表示. “在美的中国公民支持民主信仰和言论，导致中国政府威胁他们的人身安全和自由. 今天的起诉书揭露并扰乱了这种行为. 我们办公室和我们的执法伙伴将保持警惕，挫败针对我国公民和居民的外国间谍活动”.
“我们不会容忍中国或任何权威政府向我国公民施压，”助理司法部长奥尔森说. 这些指控表明，司法部将坚定不移地把所有试图压制美国境内的不同政见，阻止我们的居民行使其合法权利的违法者绳之以法”.
助理局长德里斯科尔指出，我们指控，王为中国工作.他参加了一个民运组织，意图监视那些成员.他把居住在美国的持不同政见者作为目标，危及他们的生命与安全. 中国政府一次又一次地证明，它愿意无视我们的法律来追捕那些公开反对该政权的人. 我们正在与我们的执法伙伴积极合作，以阻止这些行为. 我们希望那些担心自己安全的人能够与我们联系”.
王是一位知名学者和作家. 他在皇后区帮助建立了一个反对中国现行共产党政权的民运组织. 然而，正如指控所述，至少自2011年以来，王利用自己在中国侨民和持不同政见社团的身份和地位，为国安部和中国政府秘密收集有关著名活动人士和人权领袖的信息. 作为王的联络人，贺、纪、李、吕指使王把中国认为有颠覆性的个人和团体作为目标，如香港民运人士、台独倡导者， 支持维吾尔和西藏的人士等，并获取对国安部至关重要的特定主题和事件的信息.
如起诉书所述，王通过加密通讯应用程序和电子邮件，以及在中国会面等方式，与包括贺、纪、李、吕在内的国安部沟通并提供信息. 王经常将所收集的信息记录到电子邮件“日记”，供国安部查阅. 这些“日记”包括王与知名异议人士的私人谈话以及民运人士和人权组织的活动细节. 王被捕后，从他家中搜查发现， 王曾给贺、纪、李、吕以及其他国安部官员写了大约163篇“日记”.
比如，在2016年11月22日前后的一系列沟通中，纪指示王在即将到来的民运活动中与某位特定与会者见面，以“完成老板（指吕）所指派的任务”. 纪说，他们感兴趣的与会者和“藏族人、维吾尔族人、蒙古族人”有联系，希望王能有“好的成绩”. 在2016年11月16日左右的另一次沟通中，王告诉李，他刚刚结束与一位知名人权活动人士“交谈”，他问了“必要的问题”并得到了“坦诚”的回答. 李回复“很好”，加以竖起拇指的表情符号，指示王记录到“日记”里. 在王向国安部报告的人员里，至少有一名香港民运人士和持不同政见者(在起诉书中称为“香港持不同政见者1”)随后被中国政府逮捕.
除上述行为外，起诉书还指控王持有并向国安部转交中国持不同政见者人士的电话号码和联系方式，并向联邦执法部门严重撒慌，抵赖与中国官员或国安部有联系.
起诉书中的罪名仅仅是指控，除非被告证明有罪，否则假定无罪.
政府的案件由纽约东区检察官办公室的国家安全和网络犯罪科办理。美国助理检察官阿迪麦康奈负责起诉，国家安全处反情报和出口管制科的出庭律师斯科特A.克拉菲协助。
被告：
王书君
年龄：73
纽约皇后区贺锋（又称“贺老板”）
年龄：49
广东，中国纪杰
年龄：50
青岛，中国李明（又称“唐长老”和“小李子”）
年龄：40
广东，中国吕可清，又称（“吕老板”）
年龄：61
青岛，中国E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-00230(SJ)(JRC)
一名美国公民和四名中国情报官员 被控对著名的民运人士、持不同政见者和人权领袖进行间谍活动Read the Press Release
在昨天呈交到布鲁克林联邦法院的一份起诉书中，美国公民、皇后区居民王书君和中国国家安全部（国安部）的四名官员被指控犯有与间谍和跨国镇压有关的阴谋和其他罪行. 国安部的四名官员分别是贺锋，又称“贺老板”, 纪杰，李明，又称“唐长老”和“小李子”，以及吕可清，又称“吕老板”. 王书君此前于2022年3月16日因刑事指控被捕，稍后将被传讯。贺、纪、李、吕仍然在逃.
美国纽约东区检察官布雷昂皮尔斯, 司法部国家安全司助理部长马修 G.奥尔森, 以及联邦调查局纽约分局助理局长迈克尔.德里斯科尔宣布了这些指控.
“正如指控所述，王书君在自己社区充当地下情报人员，监视著名民运人士和组织，并将敏感信息报告给他的同案被告：中国国家安全部的成员”，美国检察官皮尔斯表示. “在美的中国公民支持民主信仰和言论，导致中国政府威胁他们的人身安全和自由. 今天的起诉书揭露并扰乱了这种行为. 我们办公室和我们的执法伙伴将保持警惕，挫败针对我国公民和居民的外国间谍活动”.
“我们不会容忍中国或任何权威政府向我国公民施压，”助理司法部长奥尔森说. 这些指控表明，司法部将坚定不移地把所有试图压制美国境内的不同政见，阻止我们的居民行使其合法权利的违法者绳之以法”.
助理局长德里斯科尔指出，我们指控，王为中国工作.他参加了一个民运组织，意图监视那些成员.他把居住在美国的持不同政见者作为目标，危及他们的生命与安全. 中国政府一次又一次地证明，它愿意无视我们的法律来追捕那些公开反对该政权的人. 我们正在与我们的执法伙伴积极合作，以阻止这些行为. 我们希望那些担心自己安全的人能够与我们联系”.
王是一位知名学者和作家. 他在皇后区帮助建立了一个反对中国现行共产党政权的民运组织. 然而，正如指控所述，至少自2011年以来，王利用自己在中国侨民和持不同政见社团的身份和地位，为国安部和中国政府秘密收集有关著名活动人士和人权领袖的信息. 作为王的联络人，贺、纪、李、吕指使王把中国认为有颠覆性的个人和团体作为目标，如香港民运人士、台独倡导者， 支持维吾尔和西藏的人士等，并获取对国安部至关重要的特定主题和事件的信息.
如起诉书所述，王通过加密通讯应用程序和电子邮件，以及在中国会面等方式，与包括贺、纪、李、吕在内的国安部沟通并提供信息. 王经常将所收集的信息记录到电子邮件“日记”，供国安部查阅. 这些“日记”包括王与知名异议人士的私人谈话以及民运人士和人权组织的活动细节. 王被捕后，从他家中搜查发现， 王曾给贺、纪、李、吕以及其他国安部官员写了大约163篇“日记”.
比如，在2016年11月22日前后的一系列沟通中，纪指示王在即将到来的民运活动中与某位特定与会者见面，以“完成老板（指吕）所指派的任务”. 纪说，他们感兴趣的与会者和“藏族人、维吾尔族人、蒙古族人”有联系，希望王能有“好的成绩”. 在2016年11月16日左右的另一次沟通中，王告诉李，他刚刚结束与一位知名人权活动人士“交谈”，他问了“必要的问题”并得到了“坦诚”的回答. 李回复“很好”，加以竖起拇指的表情符号，指示王记录到“日记”里. 在王向国安部报告的人员里，至少有一名香港民运人士和持不同政见者(在起诉书中称为“香港持不同政见者1”)随后被中国政府逮捕.
除上述行为外，起诉书还指控王持有并向国安部转交中国持不同政见者人士的电话号码和联系方式，并向联邦执法部门严重撒慌，抵赖与中国官员或国安部有联系.
起诉书中的罪名仅仅是指控，除非被告证明有罪，否则假定无罪.
政府的案件由纽约东区检察官办公室的国家安全和网络犯罪科办理。美国助理检察官阿迪麦康奈负责起诉，国家安全处反情报和出口管制科的出庭律师斯科特A.克拉菲协助。
被告：
王书君
年龄：73
纽约皇后区贺锋（又称“贺老板”）
年龄：49
广东，中国纪杰
年龄：50
青岛，中国李明（又称“唐长老”和“小李子”）
年龄：40
广东，中国吕可清，又称（“吕老板”）
年龄：61
青岛，中国E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-00230(SJ)(JRC)
“Protecting Houses of Worship” Safety Training Series Underway in the Middle District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia and the Georgia Sheriff’s Association are teaming up with local law enforcement agencies to hold “Protecting Houses of Worship” safety training conferences at communities across the District this summer.
Since 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has organized this training that brings faith-based leaders and all those involved with security at churches, synagogues, mosques and places of worship together to provide education and a forum for discussion around topics including safety, security, emergency action plan preparedness, hate crimes and the growth and management of threats.
“Learning how to prevent and respond to threats is, sadly, a necessity in today’s world. Preserving the inherently welcoming and peaceful environment that people expect at their places of worship is essential to the overall safety and well-being of the community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “I am thankful to the many law enforcement agencies that partner with us to provide this essential training for those involved with security at our places of worship.”
A “Protecting Houses of Worship” summit was held in Athens, Georgia, on Tuesday, May 17, at Athens Church with attendees representing a synagogue, a mosque and area churches. The next training will occur on Tuesday, June 7, at Unionville Missionary Baptist Church, 3820 Houston Ave., Macon. There will be trainings in Columbus and Valdosta, Georgia, this summer. The dates and locations are being finalized.
For more information about registering or about hosting a “Protecting Houses of Worship” summit in your community, please contact Pam Lightsey, Law Enforcement Coordinator with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at [email protected].
आप्रवासन-संबंधी भेदभाव के दावों का समाधान करने के लिए IT रिक्रूटर के साथ न्याय विभाग का समझौताRead the Press Release
Download Hindi Release Translation.pdf
न्याय विभाग ने आज यह घोषणा की कि उन्होंने Amtex Systems Inc., न्यूयॉर्क में स्थित एक IT स्टाफिंग और रिक्रूटिंग कंपनी, के साथ समाधान समझौता किया है। यह समझौता इन दावों का समाधान करता है कि Amtex ने भर्ती प्रक्रिया के कई चरणों के दौरान अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों की नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के आधार पर उनके साथ भेदभाव किया था क्योंकि उनके क्लाइंट्स अस्थायी रोज़गार वीज़ा वाले कर्मचारियों को प्राथमिकता देते हैं।
“IT स्टाफिंग एजेंसियाँ अवैध रूप से आवेदकों को बाहर नहीं कर सकतीं या किसी की नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के कारण उस पर अतिरिक्त बोझ नहीं डाल सकतीं,” न्याय विभाग के नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के सहायक अटॉर्नी जनरल क्रिस्टन क्लार्क ने कहा। “नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए कानून लागू करने के लिए प्रतिबद्ध है कि, अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों सहित, नौकरी के आवेदक गैर-कानूनी भेदभाव से सुरक्षित हैं।”
एक अमेरिकी नागरिक द्वारा नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के अप्रवासी और कर्मचारी अधिकार अनुभाग (Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section, IER) में Amtex के विरुद्ध भेदभाव की शिकायत दर्ज कराने के बाद विभाग की जाँच शुरू हुई थी। अपनी जाँच के आधार पर, विभाग इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुँचा कि Amtex ने विशेष नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थितियों वाले कर्मचारियों के लिए क्लाइंट्स की प्राथमिकता के आधार पर नौकरी के आवेदकों की पहचान करके उनकी जाँच करने के लिए भारत में काम करने वाली कंपनी की सेवाएं ली थीं। जाँच ने निर्धारित किया कि भर्ती करने वालों ने अपने क्लाइंट्स की नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थितियों की अवैध प्राथमिकता के साथ नौकरी के विज्ञापन भेजे, और आवेदकों पर विचार करते समय उन प्राथमिकताओं को लागू भी किया। भर्ती करने वालों की कार्य प्रणालियों ने अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों को आवेदन करने से रोककर, और आवेदन करने वालों पर विचार न करके उन्हें नुकसान पहुँचाया। उदाहरण के लिए, जाँच से पता चला कि कम से कम तीन अमेरिकी कर्मचारियों द्वारा एक जॉब पोस्टिंग के लिए आवेदन करने पर Amtex ने उनपर विचार नहीं किया जिसमें कहा गया था कि जिसमें अस्थायी रोज़गार वीज़ा वाले कर्मचारियों को प्राथमिकता देने की बात कही गई थी। विभाग आगे इस निष्कर्ष पर पहुँचा कि Amtex के लिए भर्ती करने वालों ने गैर-अमेरिकी नागरिक आवेदकों के लिए भर्ती प्रक्रिया में आगे बढ़ने के लिए नियमित रूप से एक आप्रवास दस्तावेज़ प्रदान करना ज़रूरी करके उनके साथ भेदभाव किया।
आप्रवासन और राष्ट्रीयता अधिनियम (The Immigration and Nationality Act, INA) अमेरिकी नागरिकों, गैर-अमेरिकी नागरिकों, रेफ्युजियों, शरणार्थियों, और हाल के वैध स्थायी निवासियों को नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के आधार पर कार्यस्थल पर भेदभाव से बचाता है। यदि भर्ती करने वाले क्लाइंट की गैर-कानूनी भेदभावपूर्ण प्राथमिकताओं को लागू करते हैं तो वे INA के उल्लंघन के लिए ज़िम्मेदार हैं। INA के तहत, कर्मचारी या भर्ती करने वाले केवल कानून, विनियम, कार्यकारी आदेश या सरकारी अनुबंध द्वारा आवश्यक होने पर ही नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति के आधार पर नौकरियों को सीमित कर सकते हैं। इसके अलावा, क्योंकि संघीय कानून केवल नियोक्ताओं को किसी व्यक्ति को नियुक्त करने के बाद उसकी काम करने की अनुमति की जाँच करने की इजाज़त देता है, इसलिए नियोक्ताओं और भर्ती करने वालों को नौकरी के आवेदकों की काम करने की अनुमति को सत्यापित नहीं करना चाहिए।
समाधान समझौते की शर्तों के तहत, Amtex यूनाइटेड स्टेट्स को नागरिक दंड में $15,000 से अधिक का भुगतान करेगी, अपनी नीतियों और प्रक्रियाओं को संशोधित करेगी, संबंधित कर्मचारियों और एजेंटों को INA के भेदभाव-विरोधी प्रावधान पर प्रशिक्षित करेगी, और अनुपालन सुनिश्चित करने के लिए तीन साल की अवधि के लिए निगरानी के अधीन रहेगी।
INA के भेदभाव-विरोधी प्रावधान को लागू करने के लिए IER ज़िम्मेदार है। अन्य चीज़ों के अलावा, यह कानून नौकरी देने, नौकरी से निकालने, या शुल्क लेकर भर्ती करने या रेफरल में नागरिकता या आप्रवासन स्थिति, और राष्ट्रीय मूल; अनुचित दस्तावेज़ी कार्यप्रणालियों; प्रतिशोध; और डराने-धमकाने के आधार पर भेदभाव को प्रतिबंधित करता है। INA के तहत नागरिकता स्थिति संबंधी भेदभाव के बारे में अधिक जानकारी इस फ्लायर में उपलब्ध है।
इस संक्षिप्त वीडियो के माध्यम से IER के कार्य और सहायता प्राप्त करने के तरीके के बारे में और जानें। वे आवेदक या कर्मचारी जो यह मानते हैं कि नौकरी देने, नौकरी से निकालने, भर्ती करने, या रोज़गार योग्यता सत्यापन प्रक्रिया (फ़ॉर्म I-9 और ई-वेरिफ़ाई) के दौरान उनकी नागरिकता, आप्रवासन स्थिति, या राष्ट्रीय मूल के आधार पर भेदभाव किया गया था; या बदला लिया गया था, वे आरोप दायर कर सकते हैं। आम लोग भी 1-800-255-7688 पर IER की कर्मचारी हॉटलाइन से संपर्क कर सकते हैं; 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, सुनने में परेशानी वालों के लिए TTY) पर IER की नियोक्ता हॉटलाइन पर फ़ोन कर सकते हैं; [email protected] पर ईमेल कर सकते हैं; एक मुफ़्त वेबिनार के लिए साइन-अप कर सकते हैं; या IER की अंग्रेज़ी और स्पेनिश वेबसाइट्स देख सकते हैं। IER से अपडेट प्राप्त करने के लिए GovDelivery को सब्सक्राइब कर सकते हैं।
Wormleysburg Man Pleads Guilty to Theft from Federal Courthouse Construction SiteRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Christopher Gontaryk, age 47, of Wormleysburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Gontaryk stole over $1,000 worth of construction materials belonging to the United States from the site of the U.S. Courthouse being constructed in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on October 11, 2021. The following day, he sold copper and brass construction materials that he had stolen at a metal scrapyard located in Pottsville, PA.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for theft of government money, property, or records is 10 years’ imprisonment. This charge may also carry a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
# # #
Wetzel County man admits to fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Kevin Ray Morgan, of Wheeling, West Virginia, has admitted to selling heroin and fentanyl, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Morgan, also known as “Model,” 46, pleaded guilty today to one count of “Distribution of Heroin and Fentanyl.” Morgan is admitted to distributing of heroin and fentanyl in April 2021 in Wetzel County.
Morgan faces up to 20 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shawn M. Adkins is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.
Wausau Man Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years for Role in International Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Mario Amezcua Cardenas, 28, Wausau, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 2 ½ years in federal prison for his role in laundering the proceeds of an international wire-fraud scheme. Amezcua Cardenas pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on February 17, 2022.
In November and December 2020, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, together with local law enforcement, investigated a series of thefts by fraud involving individuals who used false pretenses to convince employees of businesses to collect and deliver the businesses’ cash-on-hand to individuals who were supposedly legitimate money couriers. Individuals operating in Mexico called the employees, posing as company attorneys or upper management from the corporate office, and told the employees a false story about why they needed to gather the cash-on-hand and deliver it. The fraud perpetrators kept the store employees on the phone so they could not call store management. At some businesses, fraud perpetrators knew store lingo, the locations of safes, and other employee-specific information, which helped convince the employees the calls were legitimate.
Fraud perpetrators were able to successfully obtain cash from businesses throughout Wisconsin, including Merrill, Everest, West Allis, Stevens Point, Wausau, and Rib Mountain. Businesses large and small were targeted in the scheme and the loss to date is approximately $300,000.
Amezcua Cardenas was one of the individuals that picked up money from employee victims under the false pretenses that he was a legitimate money courier acting on behalf of the victim businesses. He also conducted and directed others to conduct, wire transactions to redirect fraud proceeds back to perpetrators in Mexico. He and his co-defendant, Moises Amezcua Cardenas, also transported $242,980 in fraud proceeds to another co-defendant, Sinval De Oliveira, in Milwaukee on December 2, 2020.
In selecting a 2 ½ year sentence, Judge Conley said he considered the seriousness of the defendant’s criminal conduct together with his lower-level role in the conspiracy, lack of prior criminal history, and drug addiction.
Co-defendant Moises Amezcua Cardenas is scheduled for sentencing on May 24, 2022. Co-defendant Sinval De Oliveira is scheduled for sentencing on June 8, 2022. Moises Amezcua Cardenas and Mario Amezcua Cardenas are brothers.
The charges against the defendants were the result of investigations conducted by U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Merrill Police Department, Wausau Police Department, Everest Police Department, West Allis Police Department, Stevens Point Police Department, and Marathon County Sheriff’s Department, with special assistance from the Marathon County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith P. Duchemin prosecuted this case.
Waterloo Man Who Crashed Vehicle After Police Chase and Possessed Gun Sentenced to over Eleven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Waterloo man, who possessed a gun as a felon and while under the influence of methamphetamine, was sentenced May 17, 2022, to 137 months in prison.
Willie Traymone Phillips, age 40, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison sentence following a September 10, 2021 guilty plea to possession of a firearm as a prohibited person and possession of a controlled substance after two or more prior drug convictions.
Information disclosed at sentencing and plea hearings revealed that, in August 2020, Phillips was pulled over by an Iowa State Trooper in Black Hawk County. The trooper approached the vehicle and observed Phillips digging through a bag of what appeared to be drugs. The trooper asked for Phillips’ identification, at which point Phillips sped off. Phillips led troopers on a chase. At one point, he crossed across four lanes of traffic, during the daytime, and crashed his vehicle. Phillips fled from the vehicle but was stopped by officers. There was one female passenger in Phillips’ vehicle. She suffered serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital where she underwent surgery. Officers searched Phillips’ vehicle and located a sawed-off shotgun and baggies containing methamphetamine, cocaine, and K2. Phillips admitted he was under the influence of methamphetamine, which was confirmed through additional testing. Phillips has 10 prior criminal convictions.
Phillips was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Phillips was sentenced to 137 months’ imprisonment. Phillips was ordered to make payment of $200 to the special assessment fund. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Corkery. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) through a cooperative effort of the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 20-CR-2057.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Washington Man Pleads Guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography Depicting Minor Victim in MexicoRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On Monday, Adolfo Aburto-Gonzalez, 24, of Olympia, Washington, pleaded guilty to Transportation of Child Pornography. Sentencing is scheduled for August 24, 2022 before United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez.
A complaint filed in March alleged that Aburto-Gonzalez was arrested after he entered the United States through Nogales, Mexico, and was found to be returning from an encounter with a 12-year-old minor, of whom he had explicit pictures and videos.
Aburto-Gonzalez accepted a plea agreement which requires that he be sentenced to a term of 10 to 12 years in prison, followed by a term of lifetime supervision as a registered sex offender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Homeland Security Investigations, Nogales, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carin Duryee, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01040-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2022-073_Aburto-Gonzalez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.United States Recovers over $15 Million from Swiss Bank Accounts as Proceeds of Global Digital Advertising Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced today that $15,111,453.84 in illicit proceeds derived from an international digital fraud scheme has been transferred by Switzerland to the United States government pursuant to a Final Order of Forfeiture entered by United States District Judge Eric R. Komitee in the matter of United States v. Sergey Ovsyannikov, et al.
“This forfeiture is the largest international cybercrime recovery in the history of the Eastern District of New York and sends a powerful message to those involved in cyber fraud that there are no boundaries to prosecuting these bad actors and locating their ill-gotten assets wherever they are in the world,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office will continue working with our law enforcement partners to take the economic gain out of crime through all available resources, including asset forfeiture, and protect the integrity of our marketplace.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the New York City Police Department for their outstanding investigative work, the Swiss Federal Office of Justice, and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs for their invaluable assistance in this matter.
The Criminal Scheme
The internet is, in large part, freely available to users worldwide because it runs on digital advertising: website owners display advertisements on their sites and are compensated for doing so by intermediaries representing businesses seeking to advertise their goods and services to real human customers. In general, digital advertising revenue is based on how many users click or view the ads on those websites. The defendants in this case represented to others that they ran legitimate companies that delivered advertisements to real human internet users accessing real internet webpages. In fact, the defendants faked both the users and the webpages; they programmed computers they controlled to load advertisements on fabricated webpages, via an automated program, in order to fraudulently obtain digital advertising revenue.Between December 2015 and October 2018, Sergey Ovsyannikov and Yevgeniy Timchenko, citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Aleksandr Isaev, a citizen of the Russian Federation, carried out a digital advertising fraud scheme known as “3ve.2 Template A” or “Eve.” The defendants used a global “botnet”-a network of malware-infected computers operated without the true owner’s knowledge or consent-to perpetrate digital advertising fraud. The defendants developed an intricate infrastructure of command-and-control servers to direct and monitor the infected computers and check whether a particular infected computer had been flagged by cybersecurity companies as associated with fraud. By using this infrastructure, the defendants accessed more than 1.7 million infected computers belonging to individuals and businesses in the United States and elsewhere, including more than 1,500 at residences and businesses in the Eastern District of New York—and used hidden browsers on those infected computers to download fabricated webpages and load ads onto those fabricated webpages. As a result of this scheme, the defendants falsified billions of ad views and spoofed more than 86,000 domains associated with online publishers, causing businesses to pay more than $29 million for ads that were never actually viewed by real human internet users and diverting that money away from the real online publishers for whom it was intended. The $15.1 million recovered from financial accounts in Switzerland were the proceeds of this digital advertising fraud scheme.
Ovsyannikov was arrested in October 2018 in Malaysia and extradited to the United States. Timchenko was arrested in November 2018 in Estonia and extradited to the United States. Both pleaded guilty and have been sentenced. Isaev remains at large.
Following the arrest of Ovsyannikov by Malaysian authorities, U.S. law enforcement authorities, in conjunction with various private sector companies, began the process of dismantling the criminal cyber infrastructure utilized in the botnet-based scheme, which involved computers infected with malicious software known in the cybersecurity community as “Kovter.” The FBI executed seizure warrants to sinkhole 23 internet domains used to further the charged botnet-based scheme or otherwise used to further the Kovter botnet. The FBI also executed search warrants at 11 different U.S. server providers for 89 servers related to the charged botnet-based scheme or Kovter.
Forfeiture matters related to the sentencings in this case were handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brendan G. King and former Assistant United States Attorney Karin K. Orenstein of the Office’s Asset Recovery Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, Artie McConnell, and Alexander F. Mindlin are in charge of the criminal prosecution.
U.S. Citizen and Four Chinese Intelligence Officers Charged with Spying on Prominent Pro-Democracy Activists, Dissidents, and Human Rights LeadersRead the Press Release
An indictment was returned yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn charging Shujun Wang, a U.S. citizen and Queens resident, and four officials from China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), with conspiracy and other charges related to an espionage and transnational repression scheme. The four MSS officers are Feng He, also known as “Boss He,” Jie Ji, Ming Li, also known as “Elder Tang” and “Little Li,” and Keqing Lu, also known as “Boss Lu.” Wang was previously arrested on March 16, 2022, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and he will be arraigned at a later date. He, Ji, Li, and Lu remain at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the charges.
“As alleged, Wang acted as a covert intelligence asset in his own community, spying on and reporting sensitive information on prominent pro-democracy activists and organizations to his co-defendants: members of the Chinese government’s Ministry of State Security,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s indictment exposes and disrupts an operation by the PRC that threatens the safety and freedom of Chinese nationals residing in the United States on account of their pro-democracy beliefs and speech. Our Office and our law enforcement partners will remain vigilant to thwart foreign espionage activities aimed at our citizens and residents.”
“We will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any authoritarian government to export repressive measures to our country,” stated Assistant Attorney General Olsen. “These charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable all those who violate our laws in seeking to suppress dissenting voices within the United States and to prevent our residents from exercising their lawful rights.”
“Working for the People's Republic of China, we allege Wang participated in a pro-democracy organization with the insidious intent to spy on those who joined. He targeted dissidents living in the United States, putting their lives at risk. The Chinese government has proven time and again it is willing to overlook our laws to hunt down those who speak out against the regime. We are working aggressively with our law enforcement partners to thwart these actions, and we hope those who fear for their safety will reach out to us," stated Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll.
Wang is a well-known academic and author who helped start a pro-democracy organization in Queens that opposes the current communist regime in China. However, as alleged, since at least 2011, Wang has used his position and status within the Chinese diaspora and dissident communities to covertly collect information about prominent activists and human rights leaders on behalf of the MSS and PRC. He, Ji, Li, and Lu acted as Wang’s handlers, directing Wang to target specific individuals and groups that the PRC considers subversive, such as Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, advocates for Taiwanese independence, and Uyghur and Tibetan activists, and obtain information on particular topics and matters of importance to the MSS.
As alleged in the indictment, Wang communicated and provided information to the MSS, including to He, Ji, Li, and Lu, by using encrypted messaging applications and emails, as well as during face-to-face meetings in the PRC. Wang often memorialized the information he collected in email “diaries” to be accessed by the MSS. These “diaries” included details about Wang’s private conversations with prominent dissidents, as well as the activities of pro-democracy activists and human rights organizations. A search of Wang’s residence incident to his arrest revealed approximately 163 “diary” entries Wang wrote to He, Ji, Li, and Lu and other MSS officials.
For example, in one series of communications on or about November 22, 2016, Ji instructed Wang to interface with a particular attendee at an upcoming pro-democracy event and to “accomplish the task” assigned by the “Boss,” referring to Lu. Ji noted that the attendee of interest had contacts with “Tibetans, Uyghurs and Mongolians” and wished Wang good luck at getting “good results.” In another exchange on or about November 16, 2016, Wang informed Li that he “just finished chatting” with a prominent human rights activist, noting that he asked the “necessary questions” and received “candid” answers. Li responded “great” and with a thumbs-up emoji, instructing Wang to write it in a “diary.” At least one Hong Kong democracy activist and dissident that Wang reported on to the MSS, identified as “Hong Kong Dissident #1” in the indictment, was subsequently arrested by the PRC.
In addition to this conduct, the indictment alleges that Wang transferred to the MSS and possessed telephone numbers and contact information belonging to Chinese dissidents, as well as made materially false statements to federal law enforcement, falsely denying that he had contacts with PRC officials or the MSS.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Artie McConnell is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The Defendants:
WANG SHUJUN
Age: 73
Queens, New YorkFENG HE (also known as “Boss He”)
Age: 49
Guangdong, PRCJIE JI
Age: 50
Qingdao, PRCMING LI (also known as “Elder Tang” and “Little Li”)
Age: 40
Guangdong, PRCKEQING LU (also known as “Boss Lu”)
Age: 61
Qingdao, PRCE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-00230 (SJ) (JRC)
U.S. Citizen and Four Chinese Intelligence Officers Charged with Spying on Prominent Dissidents, Human Rights Leaders and Pro-Democracy ActivistsRead the Press Release
A U.S. citizen and four officials from China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) were charged in an indictment, unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn yesterday, with conspiracy and other charges related to an espionage and transnational repression scheme.
According to court documents, Wang Shujun, 73, of Queens, New York; Feng He, aka Boss He, of Guangdong; Jie Ji, of Qingdao; Ming Li, aka Elder Tang and Little Li, of Guangdong; and Keqing Lu aka Boss Lu, of Qingdao, allegedly participated in an espionage and transnational repression scheme in the United States and abroad. Wang was arrested on March 16, pursuant to a criminal complaint, and will be arraigned at a later date. He, Ji, Li and Lu remain at large.
“We will not tolerate efforts by the PRC or any authoritarian government to export repressive measures to our country,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “These charges demonstrate the Justice Department’s unwavering commitment to hold accountable all those who violate our laws in seeking to suppress dissenting voices within the United States and to prevent our residents from exercising their lawful rights.”
“As alleged, Wang acted as a covert intelligence asset in his own community, spying on and reporting sensitive information on prominent pro-democracy activists and organizations to his co-defendants, who are members of the Chinese government’s Ministry of State Security,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s indictment exposes and disrupts an operation by the PRC that threatens the safety and freedom of Chinese nationals residing in the United States on account of their pro-democracy beliefs and speech. Our office and our law enforcement partners will remain vigilant to thwart foreign espionage activities aimed at our citizens and residents.”
“If anyone doubts how serious the Chinese government is about silencing its critics, this case should eliminate any uncertainty,” said Acting Executive Assistant Director Alan E. Kohler Jr. of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The Chinese government’s aggressive tactics were once confined to its borders. Now, the PRC is targeting people in the United States and around the world. The FBI and its partners remain committed to combatting transnational repression.”
According to court documents, Wang is a well-known academic and author who helped start a pro-democracy organization in Queens that opposes the current communist regime in China. However, as alleged, since at least 2011, Wang has used his position and status within the Chinese diaspora and dissident communities to covertly collect information about prominent activists and human rights leaders on behalf of the MSS and PRC. As alleged in the indictment, He, Ji, Li and Lu acted as Wang’s handlers, directing Wang to target specific individuals and groups that the PRC considers subversive, such as Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, advocates for Taiwanese independence, and Uyghur and Tibetan activists, and obtain information on particular topics and matters of importance to the MSS.
As alleged in the indictment, Wang communicated and provided information to the MSS, including to He, Ji, Li and Lu, by using encrypted messaging applications and emails, as well as during face-to-face meetings in the PRC. Wang would often memorialize the information he collected in email “diaries” to be accessed by the MSS. These “diaries” included details about Wang’s private conversations with prominent dissidents, as well as the activities of pro-democracy activists and human rights organizations. A search of Wang’s residence incident to his arrest revealed approximately 163 “diary” entries Wang wrote to He, Ji, Li and Lu and other MSS officials.
For example, in one series of communications on or about Nov. 22, 2016, Ji instructed Wang to interface with a particular attendee at an upcoming pro-democracy event and to “accomplish the task” assigned by the “Boss,” referring to Lu. Ji noted that the attendee of interest had contacts with “Tibetans, Uyghurs and Mongolians” and wished Wang luck at getting “good results.” In another exchange on or about Nov. 16, 2016, Wang informed Li that he “just finished chatting” with a prominent human rights activist, noting that he asked the “necessary questions” and received “candid” answers. Li responded “great” and with a thumbs-up emoji, instructing Wang to write it in a “diary.” At least one Hong Kong democracy activist and dissident that Wang reported on to the MSS, identified as “Hong Kong Dissident #1” in the indictment, was subsequently arrested by the PRC.
In addition to this conduct, the indictment alleges that Wang transferred and possessed telephone numbers and contact information belonging to Chinese dissidents to the MSS, as well as making materially false statements to federal law enforcement, falsely denying that he had contacts with PRC officials or the MSS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Artie McConnell of the Eastern District of New York is prosecuting the case with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney Scott A. Claffee of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office and Mercy Health Northern Hospital Systems Agree to Settlement to Resolve Violations of Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Acting U.S. Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio reached a settlement agreement with various hospitals located in the Mercy Health Northern Markets to resolve violations stemming from an investigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The agreement follows a federal civil rights investigation into complaints of discriminatory treatment of deaf patients and their companions during healthcare stays at several hospitals. These complaints stated that Mercy Health failed to provide on-site interpreters and, instead, relied on note writing and/or video remote interpreting services that failed to provide effective communication. On the basis of its investigation, the United States determined that Mercy Health denied patients the appropriate auxiliary aids and services necessary for effective communication during healthcare.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Mercy Health agreed to take proactive steps to ensure future patients, and companions of patients, who are deaf or hard of hearing avoid similar discrimination. The hospital system shall, among other actions, provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services, when necessary, after conducting a communication assessment by consulting with the patient and/or companion. The agreement also states that patients and their companions shall be advised of the availability of these aids and services throughout their healthcare stay and that these services will be provided free of charge.
According to the terms of the agreement, Mercy Health shall also make payments to each aggrieved person identified during the investigation and pay a civil penalty to the United States.
This agreement is neither an admission of liability by Mercy Health nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well-founded. The Mercy Health hospital system cooperated fully throughout the investigation, which was conducted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Angelita Cruz Bridges under title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the work of the Educational Opportunities Section is available at https://www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/ or by calling the U.S. Attorney’s Office civil rights hotline at (216) 622-3932.
U.S. Attorney Will Thompson to Honor Excellence in Law Enforcement during Friday CeremonyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will honor more than 60 law enforcement professionals during the 2022 Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 20, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse in Charleston.
Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to major investigations and cases involving drugs, violent crime, civil rights, child exploitation, and white collar crime.
Thompson will also present awards honoring this year’s outstanding law enforcement officers, drug and violent crime task force, collaborative law enforcement agency, and community partner.
The annual awards ceremony recognizes the exemplary service of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who have provided invaluable assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia in cases and initiatives.
This year’s ceremony is in conjunction with National Police Week, held to remember and honor the service and sacrifices of law enforcement officers.
WHO: United States Attorney Will Thompson, joined by representatives from the law enforcement community
WHAT: 2022 Law Enforcement Awards Ceremony
WHEN: Friday, May 20, 2022 at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, Fifth Floor, 300 Virginia St., East, Charleston, West Virginia
*** NOTICE: cameras and other recording devices will be permitted on the fifth floor of the Courthouse for the ceremony only. ***
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
###
U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan Joins African American Community Leaders at Vigil for Mass Shooting VictimsRead the Press Release
Remarks as delivered
It is a sad honor to be with you this afternoon. The news of the tragic shootings in Buffalo, and elsewhere, are at the forefront of our minds.
Our hearts are hurting for the victims, their families, their friends and for our country.
We don’t yet know all the details about these recent incidents, but we know enough to understand how deeply this has impacted all of us.
By all indications, the shooting in Buffalo was motivated by extremist rhetoric and racism. We also know hate crimes are among the most devastating because they impact everyone – not just where the event occurs – but all across the country. We feel it in Buffalo, in California, in Texas, and we feel it here in Colorado.
These crimes impact, not just members of the targeted group, but all of us. These crimes and the people who commit them are focused on driving communities apart. Instead, we must focus on our common humanity.
These evil acts try to tear us apart; and that’s why it’s so important to come together – like we are doing right now.
I want to assure you that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado stands with you today, and all days. We stand ready to marshal federal resources to investigate and prosecute any instances of potential hate crimes here in our community. We work with our partners at the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, along with state and local law enforcement to address all acts of violent extremism.
There is no room for hatred in this world. We will come together. We will not let this evil divide us.
###
U.S. Attorney joins community and faith leaders at the State Capitol in the wake of the Buffalo mass shootingTwo Wilkes-Barre Men Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that U.S. District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani sentenced Duwayne Brown, age 41, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to 33 months’ imprisonment, and Andrew Henry, age 48, formerly of Wilkes-Barre, to 18 months’ imprisonment, for drug trafficking.
According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Brown and Henry previously pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine, cocaine base, or “crack,” and heroin. The two men worked to obtain and sell drugs in Luzerne County with Michael Rinaldi, who was previously sentenced to 235 months’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean A. Camoni prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders works together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
# # #
Two Defendants Sentenced in Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Two defendants were sentenced yesterday for their role in an unemployment insurance benefit fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent-in-Charge James A. Tarasca, Federal Bureau of Investigation; and Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General.
Mitchacole Johnson, 45, of Shelby Township, received a sentence of 3 years in federal prison and Larry Witherspoon, 46, of Harper Woods received a sentence of 4 years in federal prison. Both pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and were sentenced by United States District Judge Gershwin Drain.
“These defendants exploited the current pandemic to defraud the State of Michigan and United States for their own personal gain. My office is committed to prosecuting any person who used the Covid-19 crisis to inflict more harm on the people of Michigan,” stated U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
"Both Defendants manipulated the unemployment insurance system and stole taxpayer dollars for their own personal benefit," said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI's Detroit Division. "The FBI is proud to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our country's vital federal assistance programs intended for out of work Americans."
According to court records, Johnson and Witherspoon are responsible for filing at least 66 claims for fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits in at least 4 states, including Michigan. Their illegal activity caused actual losses of over $1.3 million and attempted losses of nearly $3.5 million. Johnson filed a number of claims in her own name, while Witherspoon filed multiple claims in the names of people who had names similar to his own, such as “Lawrence Witherspoon.” Both Johnson and Witherspoon filed their claims using other people’s Social Security Numbers and had the benefits deposited into a variety of bank accounts, some connected to pre-paid debit cards.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Particka. The investigation was conducted jointly by agents from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Top Money Launderer for Ghana-Based Criminal Enterprise Sentenced to Nine YearsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that FRED ASANTE was sentenced to 108 months for his role as the top U.S.-based money launderer for a criminal enterprise based in the Republic of Ghana (“Ghana”) that engaged in fraud schemes that stole tens of millions of dollars from victims across the United States. These fraud schemes included business email compromises, romance scams targeting elderly victims, and fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. ASANTE was arrested on February 17, 2021 in Virginia and pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering on February 16, 2022 before District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Fred Asante set up companies that appeared to be involved in legitimate business, but in reality they were simply fronts that he used to receive and launder millions of dollars for a criminal enterprise in Ghana that defrauded American businesses and individuals through online scams. Asante will now serve a substantial term in prison for his money laundering operation. We will continue to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who participate in the money side of the fraud business.”
According to the Indictment, public court filings, and statements made in court:
From at least September 2016 through when he was arrested in February 2021, ASANTE was a member of a criminal enterprise (the “Enterprise”) based in Ghana that committed a series of frauds against individuals and businesses located across the United States, including in the Southern District of New York. The frauds perpetrated by the Enterprise have consisted of, among other frauds, business email compromises, romance scams, and fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. First, the objective of the Enterprise’s business email compromise fraud scheme was to trick and deceive businesses into wiring funds into accounts controlled by the Enterprise through the use of email accounts that “spoofed” or impersonated employees of a victim company or third parties engaged in business with a victim company. Second, the Enterprise conducted the romance scams by using electronic messages sent via email, text messaging, or online dating websites that deluded victims, many of whom were vulnerable older men and women who lived alone, into believing the victim was in a romantic relationship with a fake identity assumed by members of the Enterprise. Once members of the Enterprise had gained the trust of the victims using the fake identity, they used false pretenses to cause the victims to wire money to bank accounts the victims believed were controlled by their romantic interests, when in fact the bank accounts were controlled by members of the Enterprise. Finally, the Enterprise submitted fraudulent loan applications through a loan program of the United States Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) designed to provide relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Program. The Enterprise submitted fraudulent EIDL applications in the names of actual companies to the SBA and when an EIDL loan was approved, the funds were ultimately deposited in bank accounts controlled by members of the Enterprise.
ASANTE and other members of the Enterprise received fraud proceeds from victims of the Enterprise in dozens of business bank accounts that they controlled in New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. The business bank accounts were opened in the names of companies formed by ASANTE and other members of the Enterprise that were purportedly involved in, among other things, automobile sales, food imports and exports, and freight trucking and shipping. Once ASANTE received fraud proceeds in bank accounts under his control, he withdrew, transported, and laundered those fraud proceeds to other members of the Enterprise abroad. ASANTE primarily laundered the fraud proceeds through his businesses by using the proceeds to purchase automobiles, food products, and other goods from U.S.-based suppliers and distributors of such products and shipping those products to Ghana and elsewhere. These transactions had the appearance of legitimate business transactions when, in fact, the products had been purchased using the proceeds of fraud schemes. This trade-based money laundering scheme was designed to obscure the origin of the fraud proceeds as well as the identity of the ultimate beneficiaries of these schemes.
In total, ASANTE opened and maintained 19 bank accounts at more than 10 different banks as part of his money laundering operation. These bank accounts had deposits that totaled approximately $36.4 million during the 4.5-year period from September 2016 through January 2021, which included fraud proceeds from more than 80 identified victims.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, ASANTE, 37, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. ASANTE was also ordered to pay forfeiture in the amount of $647,488 and restitution in the amount of $2,292,486.71.
ASANTE’s co-defendant, LORD ANING, was previously sentenced to two years in prison by Judge Rakoff on February 28, 2022.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Sagar K. Ravi, Katherine Reilly, and Mitzi Steiner are in charge of the prosecution.
Texas man sentenced to 10 years for drug chargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Leonard Jasmine, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today to 121 months of incarceration for his role in a multi-state drug trafficking ring, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Jasmine, 30, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of “Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.” Jasmine admitted to working with others to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine base, cocaine hydrochloride, and fentanyl from the spring of 2018 to October 2020 in Monongalia County and elsewhere.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; the Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office; the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Find more about the case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Texas man sentenced for role in drug distribution operationRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeffrey Howard, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced today to 87 months of incarceration for his role in methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin drug distribution operation, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.
Howard, age 24, pleaded guilty in December 2021 to one count of “Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.” Howard admitted to having methamphetamine in Monongalia County in September 2019.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda E. Wesley and Sarah E. Wagner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The FBI's Northern West Virginia Drug Task Force in partnership with the Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Forces have members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; Monongalia County Sheriff's Office; and the Morgantown, WVU, Granville and Star City Police Departments. The investigation was also assisted by the following law enforcement partners: the Monongalia County Prosecutor’s Office; the FBI in Houston, Texas; the Houston Police Department's Multi Agency Gang Initiative; the United States Postal Inspection Service in Houston; and the FBI and DEA in Los Angeles, California.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Related case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/25-people-indicted-drug-trafficking-operation-spanned-several-states
Tequila Entrepreneur Sentenced to Prison for Securities FraudRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that JOSEPH CIMINO was sentenced today to 18 months in prison, in connection with his scheme to induce victims to invest several hundred thousand dollars into his Hudson Valley tequila business based on false information about the company’s finances. CIMINO previously pled guilty to committing securities fraud and wire fraud in connection with his misrepresentations to investors and misappropriation of investor funds. U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti imposed today’s sentence in White Plains federal court.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Cimino doctored documents and provided phony information to dupe investors into handing over hundreds of thousands of dollars that he used in part to line his own pockets. Now Cimino has been sentenced for his crimes.”
According to statements in the Complaint, Information, and other filings and statements at public court proceedings in the case:
In or about 2016 to 2018, CIMINO raised approximately $615,000 from approximately 16 investors. To attract investors, CIMINO falsely inflated the amount of capital that he had raised from prior investors, and fraudulently altered an investor list to include several individuals who, in fact, had not contributed any funds. CIMINO also falsely inflated his company’s sales. For example, in July 2017, CIMINO claimed in an investor report that year-to-date sales totaled 3,410 cases of tequila, when the actual sales totaled only 350 cases. Similarly, in October 2017, CIMINO falsely claimed that year-to-date sales totaled 6,035 cases, which was approximately five times the actual total. CIMINO further claimed in October 2017 that his company would receive reimbursement for 800 cases of tequila supposedly destroyed at a Puerto Rican warehouse as a result of Hurricane Maria. In reality, no inventory was destroyed in the hurricane, and the company lacked insurance.
CIMINO also misused a substantial portion of investor money that was intended to fund the operations of his tequila business for personal expenses, contrary to the company’s operating agreement. For example, CIMINO transferred investor money to his personal bank account in order to subsidize his food, entertainment, and other living expenses.
* * *
In addition to the prison term, CIMINO, 58, of Warwich, New York, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. CIMINO was further ordered to pay restitution to his victims in the amount of $615,000.02 and to forfeit $159,258.23 in fraud proceeds.
Ms. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Gianforti and Daniel Loss are in charge of the prosecution.
Sutton Man Sentenced for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Sutton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Worcester for conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Bruce Marando, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 57 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On Aug. 20, 2021, Marando was convicted by a federal jury of conspiracy to distribute cocaine.
In 2017, agents identified Marando as a member of a Worcester-based drug trafficking organization led by co-conspirator Vito Nuzzolilo. From March to May 2017, Marando conspired to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine). A wiretap revealed numerous communications in which Marando and Nuzzolilo discussed purchasing and selling cocaine, cooking crack cocaine and distributing cocaine to satisfy a $12,000 debt that Marando owed Nuzzolilo. Intercepted conversations also revealed that Marando and Nuzzolilo regularly discussed using physical violence to assault customers unable to pay their debts. As a result of the investigation, law enforcement seized drugs from various locations, including 250 grams of cocaine from Nuzzolilo’s band room.
In April 2020, Nuzzolilo was sentenced to 134 months in prison and eight years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Division; and Webster Police Chief Michael D. Shaw made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun, Elysa Q. Wan, David J. Derusha and William F. Abely of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Staten Island Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Brian Maiorana was sentenced by United States District Judge Frederic Block to 36 months in prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Maiorana pleaded guilty to the charge in April 2021.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“This sentencing demonstrates that individuals, like the defendant, who espouse violent views on social media concerning the ‘extermination’ and ‘assassination’ with ‘pipebombs’ and ‘firearms’ of those who don’t share their hateful, bigoted views, and who illegally possess guns and ammunition will be brought to justice,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Our nation is facing a fatal epidemic of racism and hatred, and this Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to remove the illegal guns that turn these social media trolls into dangerous criminals, with the capacity to do irreparable harm to our communities. This Office and our law enforcement partners are so grateful that we apprehended the defendant before he turned his violent social media rants into fatal actions, and that we are not once again grieving a mass shooting.”
Beginning in September 2020, Maiorana used a social media platform to post multiple threats to kill protestors, politicians and law enforcement officers and to encourage others to do the same. For example, on October 19, 2020, Maiorana posted that “[i]ts come to the point where pipe bombs need to be thrown into these mobs of potentially non violent violent protesters.” On or about November 5, 2020, Maiorana posted, “The carnage needs to come in the form of extermination of anyone that claims to be democrat…as well as their family members.” On November 8, 2020, following the news media’s projection of the result of the 2020 Presidential Election, Maiorana posted that “The Turner Diaries must come to life. We blow up the FBI building for real.” The investigation culminated in the execution of a court-ordered search warrant of the defendant’s Staten Island residence where members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force seized a semiautomatic .45 caliber Glock handgun, two magazines loaded with .45 caliber ammunition, .22 caliber ammunition, and “ghost gun” parts for a .22 caliber firearm. A taser, a crossbow, an expandable baton, a skull balaclava, and a copy of the “Anti-Government Movement Guidebook” were also recovered. Maiorana has a previous felony conviction from Pennsylvania for statutory sexual assault, stemming from a sexual relationship he had with a 13-year old that began when the defendant was 38.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Artie McConnell and Jonathan E. Algor are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
BRIAN MAIORANA
Age: 55
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-519 (FB)
State Employee Charged in over $1 million Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Three woman have been charged in a criminal complaint for their alleged role in a $1.6 million dollar unemployment insurance fraud scheme aimed at defrauding the State of Michigan and the U.S. Government of funds earmarked for unemployment assistance during the COVID19 pandemic, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement were Irene Lindow, Special Agent-in-Charge, Chicago Region, U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, John R. Pias, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and James A. Tarasca, Special Agent-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Charged were Antonia Brown, age 47, of Detroit, Kiannia Mitchel, age 32 of Romulus, and Angela Johnson, age 47, of Detroit.
According to the criminal complaint, Antonia Brown was employed by the State of Michigan as an Unemployment Insurance Examiner assigned to the Benefit Payment Control Unit. Part of her duties included reviewing, approving and adjudicating various Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) and Unemployment Insurance Assistance (UIA) claims.
As stated in the complaint, starting in March 2020, Kiannia Mitchel and Angela Brown fraudulently filed and/or accessed over 123 PUA claims, resulting in the disbursement of approximately $1.6 million in federal funds earmarked for PUA and UIA benefit payments. The complaint alleges that Brown acted outside the scope of her authority by electronically accessing, altering, and approving approximately 101 of the fraudulent claims which were all associated with Johnson and Mitchell’s residences. Mitchel and Johnson are alleged to have received money from third parties to assist them with the claims and paid Brown for her assistance in processing the fraudulent claims.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment.
The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Detroit Area Public Corruption Task Force.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Heroin ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Charles A. Robinson, also known as “Big C,” 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole.
On Dec. 27, 2021, Robinson pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram of heroin in Cole, Callaway, and Greene counties from July 1, 2015, to March 27, 2018. Robinson admitted that he transported heroin from St. Louis, Mo., to Springfield. Robinson then distributed the heroin to other members of the conspiracy for distribution.
When law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Robinson’s residence on April 13, 2016, he was in possession of 39 grams of heroin.
Robinson is the seventh and final defendant to be sentenced in this case.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall D. Eggert and Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department.
Spokane Resident Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining More Than $50,000 in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Roshon Edward Thomas, 52, of Spokane, Washington, has pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining more than $50,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. This case is part of the COVID-19 Relief Fraud Strike Force launched by the U.S. Attorney’s Office earlier this year. Senior Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson accepted Thomas’ guilty plea and set sentencing for August 16, 2022, in Spokane.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, provided low interest loans that could be deferred until the conclusion of the pandemic to provide “bridge” funding for small businesses to maintain their operations during shutdowns and other economic circumstances caused by the pandemic.
“COVID-19 relief programs were designed to lift up our community during crisis, and due to the number of people and businesses that requested funding, some deserving small businesses were not able to obtain funding to keep their businesses in operation,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We created the COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force because combatting pandemic-related fraud and holding those accountable who abused these programs is critical to the strength and safety of our community in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force works to ensure that limited resources are used to protect our local small businesses and the critical jobs and services that they provide for the community.”
In February 2022, U.S. Attorney Waldref and the U.S. Attorney’s Office began working with federal law enforcement agencies to create and launch a COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force that would leverage partnerships between different agencies to aggressively investigate and prosecute fraud against COVID-19 relief programs in Eastern Washington. The Strike Force consists of agency representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Department of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs OIG, General Services Administration OIG, Internal Revenue Service, Department of Energy OIG, Department of Homeland Security OIG, and others. Cases investigated and prosecuted by the Strike Force have resulted in numerous indictments, criminal prosecutions, and civil penalties.
According to court documents and information disclosed during court proceedings, Thomas fraudulently obtained at least $54,900 in COVID-19 relief funding through two EIDL loans he obtained in July and August 2020 for a purported tattoo parlor and a clothing design company. Thomas pled guilty to submitting false and fraudulent claims to the United States, and admitted to using false and fraudulent information to obtain EIDL funding for both companies. The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.
“I commend the stellar investigative work on these cases performed by the Strike Force and especially in this case by SBA OIG, TIGTA, FBI, and HSI,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “We will continue to work together with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute those who abuse and misuse COVID-19 relief funding, and to strengthen our communities by protecting our small and local businesses.”
Assistant United States Attorneys Dan Fruchter and Tyler H.L. Tornabene are prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.